Not only genuine paper manufactured by printer manufacturers, but also high-end print paper (fine art paper) manufactured by domestic and overseas manufacturers (drawing material paper manufacturers, Japanese paper manufacturers) are available in the current photographic print market. However, in the case of fine art paper, the appearance of an image printed thereon differs from that of the image displayed on a display in terms the feeling of gradation (gradation characteristics). That is, the user identifies the gradation characteristics or impression of the image on the fine art paper only after the image is actually printed thereon.
Patent Literature 1 is able to show, to the user, a preview on which the smoothness, glossiness, transmittance, color tone, and the like of paper are represented, by generating preview image data on the basis of paper image data registered in a paper database and image data to be printed.